AI places new demands on Swedish language teachers

Upper secondary Swedish language teachers are finding it increasingly difficult to determine what constitutes a student’s own work when generative AI is used. New research from Luleå University of Technology highlights both significant opportunities and clear challenges for teachers, as well as the need for new approaches in schools.

According to a new study from Luleå University of Technology, generative AI is changing the conditions for teaching in the Swedish language subject. In particular, teachers’ ability to assess students’ knowledge is affected, as AI can produce texts that are difficult to distinguish from students’ own work.

The study is based on interviews with upper secondary Swedish teachers and shows that AI is already influencing teaching, assessment and the relationship between teachers and students.

"Generative AI can serve as support, inspiration and a tool, but it also raises questions about cheating, trust, source criticism and the role of the teacher," says Caroline Graeske, professor in Swedish and education at Luleå University of Technology and one of the researchers behind the study.

The study highlights how teachers are adapting their methods to meet these developments. They are using shorter writing tasks, breaking assignments into several stages and allowing students to write in controlled environments such as locked writing platforms. At the same time, there is a growing emphasis on source criticism and on how students use AI tools. Some teachers are also returning to more analogue approaches, such as handwritten assignments, to reduce the risk of cheating and strengthen students’ independent thinking.

"Students must still learn to read, write, interpret, think critically and express their own voice," says Niclas Ekberg, Senior Lecturer in education and languages at Luleå University of Technology and one of the researchers behind the study.

In the long term, the findings may contribute to the development of clearer guidelines and improved practices in schools.

"When used appropriately, AI can support learning, but without adaptation it risks undermining both knowledge assessment and trust in education," says Niclas Ekberg.

Using the technology more consciously

The study shows that AI not only changes the tools used in the classroom, but also how knowledge and learning are understood. Traditional assignments and forms of assessment are no longer sufficient, and teaching increasingly needs to include oral components, process-based work and greater insight into how students develop their work.

The research suggests that the solution is not to resist the technology, but to use it more consciously.

"An important conclusion is that the solution is neither to reject the technology nor to embrace it uncritically. Instead, a critical and reflective approach is needed, where students and teachers learn to understand, evaluate and use generative AI responsibly," says Caroline Graeske.

The study Another reality? Encounters with generative AI in upper secondary Swedish language education is published in the journal Utbildning & Demokrati.